Sekikawa Takao
Director and Plant Manager of Chugai Seisakusho
Inventor of an electronic acoustic device for visually impaired Biathletes

The brightness of the target is converted into frequencies

Biathlon for Disabled Athletes is an event that we are not too familiar with. In Europe, however, it has been a popular sport for the past 20 years. In 1998, the Nagano Paralympic Games will be the first place outside of Europe to host this event. While they ski cross-country, athletes use an air rifle to shoot targets at about 10 meters away.
Mr. Sekikawa Takao developed an electronic acoustic device for visually impaired athletes. The device was made on the principle that the reflection of light intensifies towards the center of the target. The brightness of the target is converted into frequencies which guide the disabled athletes. "If you shoot the point with the highest frequency, you will hit the target. You will miss if you shoot the lower frequency points."

I would get so involved, that I ended up working until midnight

Mr. Sekikawa, who works for an electronic machinery company, is also the manager of the national rifling team. When a member of the Rifle Association went to see the Lillehammer Olympics, Mr. Sekikawa, with his knowledge about the rifle and the technical skill, was chosen as the perfect candidate to produce an aid device. Soon after he was briefed by the Rifle Association and shown a photograph of a visually impaired athlete shooting, Mr. Sekikawa got to work. "I am the only employee in my company that could handle a rifle. I had to answer my own questions while I struggled in the shooting range. I would get so involved, that I sometimes ended up staying at the range until midnight. I eventually asked some of my friends from the Rifle Association to help," says Mr. Sekikawa.

I hope that shooting for visually impaired athletes would be enjoyed by non-professional people

After 3 trial models, the device was finally completed. Even the specialists acknowledged that this product was far more accurate than the current European models. When asked what was most difficult about making this device, Mr. Sekikawa replied, "I kept assuming that it had to be very accurate to be effective for visually impaired athletes. But that would take the fun out of the sport. I was told to make the device so that the sound volume gradually increases towards the center of the target instead of having a loud area in the center only. It was a struggle for me since I could not imagine how it would be for visually impaired athletes."
At first, Mr. Sekikawa could not even understand how a visually impaired person could shoot a rifle. But now, he believes that these people have the right to enjoy the sport just as the seeing people do. "Participation of the Paralympics are for selected athletes, but I hope that shooting for visually impaired athletes would be enjoyed by non-professional people as well. " says Mr. Sekikawa. Using the skills he has mastered through this experience, Mr. Sekikawa plans to create a device that could be attached to an ordinary air rifle so that more people could enjoy the sport.

Ikeda Jun
The Parabola Club - Nagano Paralympic support organization

The Nagano Olympic Games to be held next year will end on February 22, and the Paralympic Games will be held from March 5 through 14. Mr.Ikeda is currently a case worker for the Nagano Prefecture Rehabilitation Center for the Physically Handicapped. For the past two years, Mr. Ikeda has also been a very active member of the Parabola Club, a Nagano Paralympic support organization.

He says that "The Paralympic Games are made up of five events: Alpine Skiing, Cross-Country Skiing, Biathlon, Ice Sledge Speed Skating, and Ice Sledge Hockey. Through these events, I hope that more people would understand the different types of disabilities the athletes have and the vigorous training they endure. Some athletes, for example the one-legged Alpine Skiers, risk the loss of their only leg. And unlike the Olympics, the Paralympic athletes do not have sponsors. The Paralympic Games display the real passion of courageous athletes that reach out to spectators' emotions. They are far from B-class tear jerkers you may find at the cinema."

Mr. Ikeda's concern at the moment is to make the Paralympics as comfortable as possible for the disabled spectators who will travel to the site for the events. "In terms of transportation, accommodation, and lavatory facilities, I must admit that problems still do exist. But in comparison to Tokyo, Nagano is much better equipped with handicapped facilities. With advance notice, the Parabola Club can pick up disabled visitors at the station and drive them to the venues. Please come and support the athletes," says Mr. Ikeda.

Yanagisawa Kyoko, a Paper Artist of Nagano She is a paper artist who draws the beautiful scenes of Shinshu using cut paper. You may be familiar with her works which appeared on the first page of Marion on the Thursday edition of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper some years back. She first started out paper art when she was working as an illustrator for an advertising company after graduating from Shinshu University. She uses the wood block print technique in her paper art which she is also very good at. This technique was suited for newspapers in those days when it could print only in black and shades of black. The copiers in those days used a black sheet of paper for each white copy made. She wondered if she couldn't use this extra sheet of paper and that is where she got her idea. She was born and brought up in Kita Saku where the Chikuma River starts and most of her works center around this river. Her interest went beyond paper art and she went on to nature preservation and town development. One recent achievement is the completion of the Chikuma River Highway Museum. The Obuse Parking Area located on the Joshinetsu Superhighway was rebuilt into the Obuse Integrated Park. This park blends the city facilities with nature and also has a museum containing Miss Yanagisawa's works and materials on Chikuma River. Chikuma River Highway Museum 　TEL:026-247-6600

Home of Kusakawa Shin, a Famous Children's Song Composer

Kusakawa Shin, the composer of the famous song Yuyake Koyake which is sung by every child in Japan, was born in Nagano. It is said that he made this song from the toll of the bells that he heard from a nearby temple. Since then this is called The Bell of Yuyake.

Ohjohji Temple:A 20-minute walk from Nagano Station
　TEL:026-232-4349